Magnolia fraseri 'Galaxy' Tree

This variety of Magnolia is a small, deciduous tree which, fairly conical in shape with deep pink/purple spring buds opening to very large (up to 20cm) tulip like flowers, which are pale rose pink inside and lightly scented. Magnolia fraseri 'Galaxy' begins flowering at an early age and mature trees will flower profusely. Generally this variety flowers later than other Magnolia trees so often misses the dreaded spring frosts.

Developed at the US National Arboretum and perfect for small or medium sized gardens, this Pink Magnolia will reach a final height and spread of 6 x 4m in 20 years.

Soil: Tolerant of most soils, preferring a moist site and avoiding chalky conditions

Planting Advice for Magnolia Fraseri Galaxy trees

When planting pink magnolia trees, such as Magnolia Fraseri Galaxy, it is important to prepare the planting area well. Pot grown magnolia trees can be planted at any time of the year. You will need to carry out the following to prepare your planting site.

Firstly, remove all weeds and grass within a metre of your desired planting hole then dig a hole as deep as your root mass and approximately 2x as wide. We recommend digging a square hole as this encourages the roots to grow straight as opposed to around inside the hole. To help your tree establish more effectively, we advise applying root grow (sprinkle in the hole for pot grown trees), especially if you have poor soil. Do not try to loosen the roots of magnolia trees before planting. They have a fleshy root system and can be quite fragile, teasing the roots can cause damage.

Using 50% of the original soil and 50% compost, fill in the hole and firm around gently. Make sure not to bank the soil up around the collar of the tree as this can cause problems. To see how to use a tree stake and tie, watch our informational how to videos.

Aftercare Advice for Pink Magnolia trees

If you’re planting in dry weather, water well and regularly for the first few months. The same goes for spring and summer planting. Make sure to keep an eye on your young tree and increase watering if there are extended periods of hot or dry weather. Magnolias do not cope well with dry soils so this is especially important. If you’re planting in autumn, you may only need to water your tree a little. We also stock a range of irrigation kits, suitable for a variety of planting schemes.

Once planted, it is important to keep the area free of competing weeds and grass for the first couple of growing seasons. Using a glyphosate based weed killer or installing mulch matting and bark chips will aid in this. Do not simply mow the grass around the area as this will only encourage it to grow more vigorously. If you know your area is prone to rabbits, we would advise using a rabbit guard.

Pruning Advice for Magnolia Galaxy trees

When first planted, magnolia trees can be pruned into shape. Simply remove any weak branches or any that are growing in an awkward position. Established deciduous magnolia trees should not be heavily pruned. Simply remove any dead or damaged branches. If pruning to limit the overall size, stagger your pruning over a few years to alleviate the stress on your tree. You want to achieve an open, balanced effect so do not over prune. Pruning for deciduous magnolias should be carried out in mid-summer to early autumn. You should not prune deciduous magnolia trees from late winter to early spring.

Delivery Timescales

Most deliveries are made within a week of placing the order. All trees are carefully packed by our experienced team, with many despatched to our tried and tested couriers within 24 hours (please allow up to 10 days). There's no need to be in to receive your trees and you can request where they are left via the checkout.

There is a slightly longer timescale on pleached and mature trees (trees over 2.5m in height) because we group orders together by geographic area for specialist delivery - we will contact these customers to notify them of the delivery date and whether the delivery driver needs assistance.

Gift trees and those required by a specific date can be accommodated with pleasure, although we accept no legal responsibility for late deliveries.

Our nursery is a busy despatch centre, so please make an appointment to collect or view trees. For collections, despatch charges will be refunded.

Mature, pleached or 5+ large trees: Cost is calculated in the checkout process and varies by postcode. You can buy additional trees with no increase in delivery cost.

The above prices exclude the Scottish Highlands, where delivery starts from £24.95 + vat and is calculated in the checkout process.

Northern Ireland, Channel Islands and Non Mainland UK

Our courier charges are not viable for just one or two trees, but if you have a larger requirement then please do speak to us to see if we can find a solution.

The product table gives the sizes and forms offered for this variety, along with photos you can enlarge (these are only a guideline as all plants are unique so vary slightly). Below are definitions of various forms, which refer to the shape of the tree defined by the pruning it has received. For more information, please contact us.

Single Stem / Pruned and shaped: Classic shaped tree with a single stem that has had pruning to help create a beautiful, natural shape.

Top grafted: A height noted next to this form refers to the length of clear stem, which will not grow taller. Only the head of branches will develop. Top grafted trees do not require complicated pruning and are ideal for small spaces.

Multi Stem: A multi stem tree is has two or more stems arising from or near ground level, growing from one root system. Take care to buy a true multi-stem like all ours and not those that are 3 saplings in a pot to cheaply imitate them.

Feathered: A feathered tree has branches from the bottom of the trunk all the way up. These branches can be removed if a clear stem is required.

Bush: A plant with many stems low down, rather than one clear stem.

Climber: A plant that is a natural climber and will be delivered usually running up a bamboo cane, ready to position in the garden.

Standard Tree: A more mature tree with an upright clear stem of approximately 1.8m-2.0m (measured from the soil to the lowest branch), which supports a branched crown. Standards are available in different forms relating to their girth size (circumference of the stem measured 1m above soil level), not height.